Chapter 46: Beijing Engagement "That is a princess from the capital, and the general...
The autumn sun gently shone on the cobblestones of the alley. Liu Yeshu's brisk footsteps shattered the afternoon tranquility. She carried a small basket filled with a few carefully prepared supplements as she headed towards Housekeeper Zhao's residence.
Arriving at the door, Liu Yeshu knocked gently. "Butler Zhao, it's me, Liu Yeshu."
The door creaked open, and a look of surprise crossed Butler Zhao's pale face. "Miss Liu, please come in."
Liu Yeshu followed Butler Zhao into the room and looked around, finding it very tidy. She placed the basket on the table and said with a smile, "It seems you're feeling much better now."
"I've been in the clinic for half a month. Now that I can walk, I'm going home to recuperate," Butler Zhao nodded, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "Thanks to the General's care..." He paused.
Liu Yeshu understood: "You haven't told the general that you've recovered yet, is it because of Yang Qing?"
Butler Zhao sighed and slowly sat down. "Back then, I was so confident that Brother Yang was absolutely flawless. Now, thinking about it... I've truly failed the General's trust. All this time, I haven't dared to see him. I've always felt like there's something wrong with me."
"Butler Zhao, the general didn't blame you. Before he left for the capital this time, he specifically instructed you to return and take charge of the affairs of the palace."
When Butler Zhao heard this, a hint of surprise and emotion flashed in his eyes.
"The general..." He paused, as if pondering something, then looked up at Liu Yeshu. "But, Miss Liu, I heard you've done a great job as housekeeper lately, and the general is very satisfied with you. If that's the case, why did he ask an old man like me to go back?"
These words expressed both affirmation of Liu Yeshu's abilities and a hint of concern for his own position. Butler Zhao's eyes wandered over Liu Yeshu's face, as if searching for some kind of answer.
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "Butler Zhao, you are too kind. All I have done during this period is just copying others. I can't compare with you."
Having said that, Liu Yeshu actually has selfish motives.
"I need more time."
This thought, like a seed, took root and sprouted in her heart. Liu Yeshu closed her eyes, and the many benefits of the housekeeper position emerged in her mind: a stable monthly salary, a respectable position, and the general's appreciation. These were undoubtedly tempting, especially for a woman of humble status.
However, another voice sounded in her heart, surging like a tide:
"If we are confined within this, when will our family be able to escape this slavery?"
Because of this, she took the initiative to bring up the matter of Butler Zhao before Qi Yu left and took advantage of the situation.
Butler Zhao was silent for a moment, tears welling in his eyes. "The general's generosity truly puts me to shame." He took a deep breath, seemingly resolving, "Since that's the case, I can't betray the general's trust. I'll return to report tomorrow." This even led to a more favorable impression of Liu Yeshu. He finally understood that this girl wasn't greedy. Most people wouldn't give up such a lucrative position.
The two chatted for a while longer, and Liu Yeshu intentionally or unintentionally led the topic to Qi Yu.
"You have been following the general for a long time, haven't you?"
"It's been over ten years," Butler Zhao said, a look of nostalgia crossing his face. "Speaking of which, the general had his own reasons for coming to this frontier."
Liu Yeshu was surprised and asked, "Didn't the general volunteer to guard the border?"
Steward Zhao shook his head and lowered his voice, saying, "It's a long story. The general is from a prominent family in the capital. Although he lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his father, he has always been a man of high hopes. However, the general's father encountered a great change in the struggle within the court. He was framed and ultimately died unjustly. Since then, the forces within the court have been trying to hinder the general, both openly and covertly, in an attempt to put him to death."
Liu Yeshu listened intently and asked, "What happened next?"
"Fortunately, the old general defied all odds and did his utmost to protect the general, which is why His Majesty transferred him to the frontier." Steward Zhao sighed. "Over the years, the general has made great military achievements at the frontier, and those in the court no longer dare to openly target him."
Liu Yeshu nodded thoughtfully, "No wonder the general doesn't seem to like talking about the capital."
Butler Zhao smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, the capital is both his hometown and filled with unpleasant memories." He sighed, "In fact, the general has another marriage planned in the capital."
Liu Yeshu's pupils tightened, and she forced herself to remain calm: "Marriage?"
Butler Zhao nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "She is a princess from the capital. The general and she had been engaged since childhood. Unfortunately, after the general left the capital, they drifted apart. Furthermore, the general has always been reluctant to return to the capital, so the marriage has been delayed."
He paused, smiled bitterly, and said, "In fact, if it weren't for the general's father's affairs, perhaps this marriage would have been completed long ago. But now the general's mind is no longer on it, and the princess is still waiting in the capital. I heard that she has never married in all these years."
Butler Zhao's words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up countless ripples. Liu Yeshu felt a tightness in her heart, as if something was aching in her chest. She remained silent, her eyes unconsciously falling on a fallen leaf outside the window, and her thoughts drifted away.
Butler Zhao seemed to realize he'd said too much, a trace of regret on his face. He cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone, "I treat Miss Liu as my own. You can't tell anyone else about this."
Liu Yeshu snapped out of her thoughts and forced herself to smile. She adjusted her breathing and tried to make her voice sound relaxed and natural. "Of course. If anyone asks, I'll just pretend I don't know."
Butler Zhao nodded as if relieved, and the tension on his face eased a little. Liu Yeshu looked normal, with a gentle smile on her face.
After bidding farewell to Butler Zhao, Liu Ye slowly walked out of the courtyard. As the distance between them widened, the smile on her face gradually faded, finally disappearing completely. She paused, her gaze unconsciously drawn to an old tree by the roadside. A lone fallen leaf swayed gently in the breeze, as if silently expressing a certain sorrow.
Liu Yeshu gently shook her head, trying to push those complicated thoughts out of her mind. She knew full well that some things were not her place to dwell on, and those distant memories of the capital were far removed from her life. Yet, deep within her heart, an indescribable emotion lingered.
As the sun set, the sky was dyed a brilliant orange. Liu Yeshu dragged her exhausted body, step by step, towards home. Each step seemed to carry a heavy weight. She suddenly felt very tired and wanted to curl up in her warm bed for a nap.
"Miss Liu."
Liu Yeshu was startled for a moment, then turned around. She saw Widow Wang, the woman across the street, standing at her doorstep, looking at her expressionlessly. Widow Wang's appearance was like a gust of cold wind, instantly bringing Liu Yeshu back to reality.
Liu Yeshu quickly adjusted her mentality and that gentle smile reappeared on her face: "Sister Wang, is there anything wrong?" This was the first time that Widow Wang took the initiative to talk to her.
Widow Wang looked calm and composed, saying, "There's been a lot of rat trouble lately. I just saw a few of them running towards your house."
Liu Yeshu was slightly surprised: "Really? Thank you, Sister Wang, for reminding me."
Widow Wang nodded, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just added briefly: "Thank you for what happened that night." After that, she hurriedly turned and went into her room.
Liu Yeshu was stunned for a moment. It turned out that Widow Wang had seen everything she and Liu Di did that night. Although Widow Wang's attitude remained cold, she took the initiative to thank him, which was a rare gesture of goodwill.
Pushing open the door, Liu Yeshu headed straight for the corner where the grain was stored. She opened the grain jar and gasped—the jar, once full, was now nearly a third empty! There were tiny bits of feces at the bottom, clearly the work of rats.
"Ling'er," Liu Yeshu turned to his younger brother, who was busy at the stove, and said, "There are mice in our house. We need to find a way to get rid of them."
Liu Di nodded hurriedly and replied, "I'll go make some mousetraps right away!"
He quickly found some wood and wire. With his previous experience, he was much more skilled at making mousetraps. He deftly smeared some bait on the wood and carefully placed the mousetraps in several corners of the kitchen.
Liu Yeling reminded her, "This mousetrap is much stronger than the last one. Be careful when you get up at night, don't step on it."
Late at night, a chill wind howled outside. Liu Yeshu lay on the kang, covered in the wolfskin rug Qi Yu had gifted her. She felt no chill at all. Just as she was finally drifting off to sleep, a sharp "pop" sound suddenly emanated from the kitchen. She snapped her eyes open, held her breath, and strained her ears to listen. In the silence, two more crisp "pops" echoed, as if something had been knocked over or knocked over. Then, a series of sharp, shrieking cries pierced the night air.
The next day, Liu Di jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen, where he saw several mice caught in mousetraps. After struggling for a while, they stopped moving. Liu Di clapped his hands and excitedly said to Liu Yeshu, "Sister, they're caught! These little guys really fell for it!"
Liu Yeshu approached and saw that the mice had obviously been struggling all night and were now out of strength. Only their weak breathing proved that they were still alive.
She squatted down and counted carefully: "One, two, three, four, five... There are five in total."
However, when she stood up, the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a trace of worry. Liu Di keenly noticed the change in her sister and asked in confusion: "Sister, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
Liu Yeshu sighed softly and said, "Although we caught these rats, I'm afraid this is far from enough." She glanced at the corner of the kitchen and continued, "Look, there are new rat holes over there. This means there may be more rats hiding where we can't see them."
Liu Di seemed lost in thought, while Liu Yeshu went inside to put on a thick coat. "I have to go to the General's Mansion and bring the cat back." With that, Liu Yeshu hurried to the General's Mansion.
Yuanbao, fed on leftover meat and broth at the General's Mansion, grew fatter each day. His belly swayed slightly as he walked, silently proclaiming the abundance of the General's Mansion's food. The fluffy fur he'd first seen had faded, replaced by a sleek, orange-tinged coat.
It was noon when she returned home with Yuanbao in her arms. As soon as she entered the house, Yuanbao jumped out of her arms, pricked up his ears, and sniffed around.
"Go, Yuanbao," Liu Yeshu said softly, "help us catch the remaining mice."
Yuanbao stretched lazily and began to wander around the house, gracefully moving through every corner, sometimes stopping to sniff, and sometimes moving silently to another place.
Suddenly, Yuanbao's body tensed up, his eyes fixed on a small hole in the corner of the wall, his butt raised high and shaking back and forth. The next second, he rushed over like an arrow. With a scream of "zhi", Yuanbao had already caught a mouse.
"Good job!" Liu Yeshu praised.
By evening, Yuanbao had caught more than a dozen mice, big and small. Every time he caught a mouse, he would proudly place his trophy at Liu Yeshu's feet, as if to claim credit.
"That's amazing!" Liu Di exclaimed sincerely.
Liu Yeshu touched Yuanbao's head: "Thanks to you."
Yuanbao's ears were rubbed flat and erect, and he purred, his eyes clearly filled with pride. But even though he'd caught the mice, he didn't eat them. Instead, he looked disdainful, scraping at them with his claws for a few times before shoving them aside. Liu Yeshu poured him some broth and rice, and he came closer, tucking into them with big mouthfuls.
As night fell, Liu Yeshu stood in the yard, staring at the starry sky in a daze.
At this moment, Widow Wang's voice came from the other side: "Miss Liu."
Liu Yeshu turned around and saw Widow Wang standing at the door. Her expression remained calm, but there seemed to be a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Have you solved the rat problem in your house?"
Liu Yeshu nodded, thinking she had heard the cat meowing at home. "Yes, my brother made some mousetraps, and I borrowed a cat. Sister Wang, are there still mice at home? Do you want me to bring the cat over to help check tomorrow?"
Widow Wang was slightly startled, as if she hadn't expected Liu Yeshu to take the initiative. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Okay."
"Okay, you'll be home tomorrow, right?" Liu Yeshu said with a smile, "In the afternoon, I'll bring the cat over."
Widow Wang nodded and went back to the house. After a while, she came out and handed a small bag of lime powder to Liu Yeshu. She said, "Sprinkle the lime powder on the rat's body. After sprinkling the lime powder, you can wrap the rat with these old cloth strips and bury it in a pit. Rats are prone to many diseases."
Liu Yeshu listened carefully: "Thanks to your reminder, I really didn't think of these details. If I handled it carelessly, I'm afraid it would really leave hidden dangers."
Aunt Wang waved her hand. "They're just some tricks. Country folks have been battling these little critters for years, and they've slowly figured out some methods. Sprinkle some lime or chili powder in the corners of the house and at the base of the walls. The mice will smell the scent and become intimidated, afraid to come near. Hang a few bunches of dried mint near the grain storage; mice don't like the smell either."
After dealing with the mouse corpse and cleaning the house, Liu Yeshu squatted down and gently stroked Yuanbao's back. Yuanbao squinted his eyes comfortably and purred with satisfaction.
"You have done a good job this time. Do you want to eat fish?" Liu Yeshu asked with a smile.
Yuanbao immediately became energetic, meowing and circling around Liu Yeshu's feet, rubbing her trouser legs and looking at Liu Yeshu expectantly with his big green eyes.
Liu Yeshu was amused and said to Liu Di, "Ling'er, let's go fishing together tomorrow, okay?"
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